Energy drinks with high caffeine content, such as AMP Energy, are gaining popularity among teenagers and young adults, even though they are associated with severe adverse effects like sleeplessness, shaking, cardiac issues, strokes, and fatalities.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured by energy drink side effects, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer and our lawyers can help.
Table Of Contents
- Update: Energy Drinks Worse for your Heart than Caffeine Alone, Study Finds
- What’s the Problem?
- Dangers of Caffeine in Energy Drinks
- AMP Energy Side Effects
- Alcohol and Energy Drinks: A Risky Combination
- FDA Warning on Adverse Events Linked to Energy Drinks
- Energy Drink Overdoses Blamed for Spike in Emergency Room Visits
- Energy Drinks Linked to TBI in Teen Athletes
- Too Many Energy Drinks Can Increase Your Risk of Hepatitis, Study Finds
- Just 1 Energy Drink May Cause Blood Pressure & Stress Hormones to Soar
- FAQs:
- Do I Have an AMP Energy Lawsuit?
Update: Energy Drinks Worse for your Heart than Caffeine Alone, Study Finds
April 27, 2017 – A new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA) has linked the side effects of energy drinks to an increased risk for heart problems beyond those seen with caffeine alone. The researchers suspect that the “proprietary blend” of ingredients in commercial energy drinks may prolong caffeine’s activity in the body, prevent it from being excreted, or that these substances “may have activity of their own above and beyond caffeine.”
What’s the Problem?
Energy drinks have become hugely popular over the past 15 years. More than 365 million gallons of the beverages were sold in 2008 alone, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation [1].
One of the more popular brands is AMP Energy, a drink made by the Pepsi Company. As the product has grown in popularity — particularly among adolescents and young adults — concerns have been raised about the safety of AMP and other energy drinks, especially in regards to their effects on health when consumed in excess or together with alcohol.
Related articles:
Dangers of Caffeine in Energy Drinks
One of the main concerns about energy drinks like AMP are the high levels of caffeine contained in each beverage. According to the Livestrong Foundation [2], AMP comes in sizes ranging from 8.4 oz. to 24 oz., with products containing as much as 214 mg of caffeine per can. High levels of caffeine can affect a person’s cardiovascular health by increasing blood pressure, and in some cases can even cause abnormal heart rhythms (arrythmias).
AMP Energy Side Effects
The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) [3] lists the following side effects of energy drinks, in order of most common to least common:
- Heart palpitations / tachycardia
- Tremor / shaking
- Agitation / restlessness
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Chest pain / ischaemia
- Dizziness / syncope
- Paraesthesia (tingling or numbing of the skin)
- Insomnia
- Respiratory distress
- Headache
Alcohol and Energy Drinks: A Risky Combination
A 2011 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research [4] found that consuming energy drinks with alcohol is more dangerous than drinking alcohol alone. The researchers recommended that energy drink manufacturers put warning labels on their products cautioning that they should not be consumed with alcohol.
For the study, researchers took a cohort of 56 college students and split them into 4 groups. They drank either an alcoholic beverage, an energy drink, a beverage that combined both alcohol and an energy drink, or a drink that did not include either one.
The study found that all students who drank alcohol showed reduced impulse control. However, those who drank the alcoholic energy drink considered themselves less impaired compared to those who drank the same amount of alcohol alone. The researchers say this could make people who drink alcohol and energy drinks together more likely to do something risky like driving while drunk or having unprotected sex.
FDA Warning on Adverse Events Linked to Energy Drinks
In November 2012, the FDA issued a Safety Alert [5] confirming that it had received at least 5 reports of people dying after consuming energy drinks, including 14-year-old Anais Fournier. FDA said there’s no proof the drinks caused the deaths; however, the agency is investigating the safety of the beverages, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into energy drink manufacturers’ practices, which claim the beverages improve energy and concentration.
Energy Drink Overdoses Blamed for Spike in Emergency Room Visits
A growing number of patients, many of whom are young, are being treated in emergency rooms for complications related to energy drinks like AMP. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of annual hospital visits involving the drinks doubled from 2007 to 2011.
In 2011, there were 20,783 reported ER visits in which an energy drink was listed as the primary cause of or a contributing factor to a health problem, compared with 10,068 in 2007. Such problems, which are typically linked to excessive caffeine consumption, can include anxiety, headache, irregular heartbeats and heart attacks, according to the New York Times [6].
Energy Drinks Linked to TBI in Teen Athletes
Teenagers who sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the last year were also more likely to report consuming lots of energy drinks, according to a study [7] published today in the September 16 online edition of PLOS ONE. “We think the common denominator between traumatic brain injuries and energy drinks is sports,” says Gabriela Ilie, author of the study. “Marketing campaigns for energy drinks usually are carefully crafted to include sponsorship of events that are very appealing to this age group, like snowboarding.”
Too Many Energy Drinks Can Increase Your Risk of Hepatitis, Study Finds
November 4, 2016 – Hepatitis is a disease of the liver which is most often associated with sexual behavior or abuse of alcohol or drugs. However, a 50-year-old construction worker in Florida was recently diagnosed with the condition, with the cause being over consumption of energy drinks. His doctors determined that he was consuming 160-200 mg of niacin daily in the beverages, or more than 1000% of the recommended daily allowance.
Just 1 Energy Drink May Cause Blood Pressure & Stress Hormones to Soar
November 8, 2015 – A single large can of energy drink a day may raise the risk of heart problems in young adults, a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) [8] has found. Within half an hour of consuming the beverages, levels of the ‘fight or flight’ hormone noradrenaline in test subjects’ blood also increased by almost 74%.
FAQs:
What Happened to Amp Energy Drink?
Amp Energy Drink underwent significant changes starting in 2019. PepsiCo decided to merge the standalone Amp Energy brand with the Mountain Dew brand, resulting in the product being called Mountain Dew Amp. By late 2020, the Amp branding was completely removed from the Game Fuel brand.
What Is the Amp Energy Drink Lawsuit About?
The Amp Energy Drink lawsuit is about claims that the beverage has caused serious health issues in consumers, including heart problems, high blood pressure, and other adverse effects due to its high caffeine and sugar content.
Who Is Filing the Lawsuit Against Amp Energy Drink?
Consumers who have experienced health problems after consuming Amp Energy Drink are filing the lawsuit against Amp energy drink. These individuals allege that the manufacturer failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential risks associated with the drink.
What Are the Specific Health Risks Associated With Amp Energy Drink?
The specific health risks associated with Amp energy drinks include heart palpitations, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and, in some cases, severe cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.
Has Amp Energy Drink Been Recalled Due to These Health Concerns?
Amp energy drink have not been recalled due to these health issues. However, the lawsuit claims that the manufacturer should have taken more proactive measures to ensure consumer safety.
Do I Have an AMP Energy Lawsuit?
The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in energy drink lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
Free Confidential Case Evaluation: Again, if you or a loved one was injured after consuming an energy drink, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing an energy drink suit and our lawyers can help.
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